ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
4.2 THE PARTICIPANTS
The following are the details of the fifteen participants who took part in the study. The names of participants have been changed to protect them and their families and also to maintain anonymity.
LULU
Lulu is an eighteen-year-old girl heading a family of five children including herself.
She lives in an informal settlement (shack) with her three brothers, ages 17, 14 and 12 years respectively and her ov/n 4 year old daughter.
She was in grade 12, and two of her brothers are at a primary school. One brother was out of school and not employed. Lulu had been heading the household since 2001 when her mother died. She revealed during the interviews that they did not know their father, and their mother's family resides in the Eastern Cape, so they did not have any relatives in KwaZulu-Natal. Their grandmother who used to visit them from the Eastern Cape passed away in 2004. Lulu reported that she tried to apply for a foster care grant for her three brothers but was told to come when she is 21 years old as she is under age to apply for a grant.
The family lives on R190, 00 child support grant for Lulu's daughter. They also get monthly food parcels from a local 'Drop in Centre'. Lulu also enlisted the help of social workers to secure school uniforms for herself and her two brothers.
LUNG A
Lunga is a seventeen-year-old boy who lives with his fifteen year old brother. He was in grade 10. His 15-year-old brother dropped out of school in grade 8 and was then working as a taxi conductor. The brother could not take it anymore, as sometimes he had to go to school hungry and sometimes go to bed on an empty stomach.
Lunga had been heading the household since their mother passed away in 2001. Their father was killed during political violence in the area.
In terms of financial status of the household, Lunga reported that they were not in receipt of any social grants. He said that he went to the social workers to ask for assistance, but was told that they need to be placed with an elder person who then will be able to apply for a foster care grant. Lunga said that they were better off staying by themselves rather than with somebody else. He further said that they did not want to leave their parents house.
Lunga explained that they v/ere getting food parcels from a local' Drop- In Centre' from 2001 until 2004. They mainly rely on neighbours for food handouts, and the local shopkeeper who at times gave them food parcels from his shop and then, they would run some errands for him in return, such as helping in the shop with loading groceries and cleaning. Lunga and his brother lived in a RDP house and they said they were happy with it, as it was enough to accommodate both of them.
THEMBELA
Thembela is an eighteen-year-old girl who headed a family of five children including her. She lives with her three brothers, ages 16, 12 and 8 years and one 10-year-old sister.
She was in grade 12 and her brother was in grade 10. The other 12-year-old brother was in grade 8. The other two younger children were doing grade 5 and grade 2 respectively. Thembela had a 23-year-old sister and a 20-year-old brother who were both unemployed. Their 23-year-old sister stayed with her boyfriend and they did not know where their 20-year-old brother stayed, but he visited them often.
Thembela had been heading the family since 2004, October. Their mother passed away in September 2004 a long illness, and their father passed away in 2000.
Thembela disclosed that their mother was HIV positive. They have their aunts and uncles but preferred to stay by themselves, as she was scared that her siblings would
be ill treated at their relatives' houses, since the relatives have their own children. The family lived at a Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) house.
Thembela said that they were happy to live there although it is small they were glad that it is solid and it is better than living in a shack
JABU
Jabu is a sixteen-year-old boy who stayed in an informal settlement with his 14-year- old brother.. Their mother died in 2001 after a long illness. Their father was killed during political violence in the 1990's. They live in a shack, which was not properly built as it used to leak when it was raining. Jabu was in grade 9. His fourteen-year- old brother dropped out of school in 2004 and was not attending school and he couldn't cope to go to school sometimes on an empty stomach.
Jabu informed that they received food parcels from a local drop in centre for a while after their mother's death but they stopped and were told that food parcels were for people who were awaiting receipt of social grants.
NTOMBI
Ntombi is a fourteen-year-old girl doing Grade 9. Ntombi lives in a shack with her 12- year-old brother who was in grade 8 at the same school.
Their father was shot dead in the 90's during violence in KwaZulu-Natal, their home was burnt down and they fled to Durban with their mother. Their mother was unemployed and took to informal trading, selling fruit and vegetables. Their mother passed away in 2003 after a long illness. After their mother's death, Ntombi and her brother stayed with a distant aunt for a while. Their aunt tried to apply for a grant for them but it was difficult to get birth certificates for them, as their mother never had an Identity Document. They think that their aunt got fed up waiting for the process from Social Welfare and Home Affairs to get birth certificates for the children. She left them in February 2004 without telling them where she was going. They are too scared to even trace their relatives from the farms in Northern KwaZulu-Natal as their family
fled the area under very bad circumstances, and they had never had any contact with their relatives since then.
Ntombi and his brother are getting food parcels from a local drop in centre every month and get breakfast and lunch at the centre everyday.
ANELE
Anele is a seventeen-year-old boy in Grade 12. He stays with his fifteen- year- old brother since July 2004 when their mother passed away. They did not know their father, and had no other known relatives. I met Anele just a few weeks after he had buried his brother who committed suicide. Anele seemed much traumatised at the time of the interview, as he was trying to hold back tears. Anele lived in an RDP house left by his mother. Anele sold fruit and vegetables every afternoon after school so as to earn a living.
MAKHOSI
Makhosi is a 16-year-old girl, who lives in rural areas with her three younger brothers who were 12, 10 and 8 years and were in grade 7, 5 and 3 respectively. Makhosi was in Grade 10. Her father deserted them long before their mother died in 2004. They did not know where he was and whether he was still alive.
They live at their home by themselves and Makhosi is the head of this household.
They have relatives who live in the same community, but no one is prepared to live with them or take care of them. Makhosi told me that even while their mother was still alive the relatives did not bother to come and see her.
Makhosi reported that they were not in receipt of any grant but their case was with the social workers. Her mother was in receipt of the child support grant for the two younger children, which was suspended after her death, there was no one who could renew the child support grant as Makhosi was only 16 and did not even had an Identity Document yet. None of the relatives was interested to reapply for the grant, as the relatives seemed not interested in helping them.
Their mother was a domestic worker in one of the suburbs and their mother's employer help whenever they can with food, clothes and school needs. Makhosi and
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her siblings do not pay school fees as the social workers reported their case in their respective schools.
MBALI
Mbali is a 17-year-old orphan (female) who lives in a rural area with her two brothers aged 15 years and 8 years respectively. She dropped out of school in February 2005, but went back again after a month. She was in grade 10. Her 15-year-old brother also dropped out of school at a primary school level. Her 8-year-old brother was doing grade 1 and was absent form school on a regular basis due to his ill health.
Mbali was the head of the family since her mother passed away at the beginning of 2004. She informed that her father passed away in 2002 after a long illness and her mother was also very ill for a long time before she died. Mbali had taken the responsibility of caring for her brothers after their mother died after a long period. She informed that she worked as a domestic worker during weekends in her neighbourhood earning R30, 00 per day. She used the money mainly to buy bread and mealie-meal and for her bus fare.
Mbali and her 15-year-old brother did not have birth certificates; only her younger brother had birth a certificate as her mother was getting a child support grant for him.
She couldn't apply for her brother's child support grant due to the fact that she did not have an Identity Document. She had tried to enlist the help of relatives to get an Identity Document to no avail as the relatives distanced themselves, since her father's death, and it is even worse now that their mother is deceased too.
LWAZI
Lwazi is a 16-year-old boy who lives with his 13-year-old brother in a rural area not far from Durban. Lwazi and his brother attended school in a nearby high school.
Lwazi was in grade 9 and his brother was in grade 8.
Lwazi's parents died in the car accident in 2000 when Lwazi was only 11 years old and his brother was 8 years old. They were still in primary school. Lwazi informed that they stayed with their maternal aunt for few months after their parent's burial.
Their aunt went to Social Welfare and applied for foster care grant on their behalf,
which was approved after about 6 months. Lwazi informed that things went well for a while because all their needs were taken care of by their aunt. She bought them clothes, paid for their school fees, took care of them etc.
Lwazi informed that he and his brother were used to the comfortable living, as their parents owned two taxis. Eetch family member wanted to take care of Lwazi and his brother, as they wanted their home, the taxis and the foster care grant. According to Lwazi, the tension among family members grew and at times they used to literally assault each other. When asked how he is coping as the head of the household, Lwazi informed that they rely on neighbours for food. Social workers used to give them food parcels as their case was well known especially after their aunt left. Lwazi informed that they have even sold some items from their home such as a TV, Hi-fi, and DVDs.
LINDIWE
Lindiwe is a 17-year-old girl heading the family of four including her own two children, her sister who was 15 years old, her brother, 13 years old and her two children aged 2 and 1 year. Lindiwe did not know her father as she and her siblings were living in their home with their mother, who passed away in 2004, after a long illness. They live in a rural area near Pinetown.
Lindiwe was in grade 12; her sister dropped out of school and was associating with the gangs and smoking dagga in the streets corners. Lindiwe informed that they live on the child support grant that she collects for her child. She informed that she had asked a distant relative to collect the grant on her behalf, as she does not have an Identity Document to apply for the grant herself.
SIPHOKAZI
Siphokazi is a 17-year-old girl, who heads a family of six. Her mother passed away in 2000 after long illness. Siphokazi and her siblings stayed with their father after their mother's death until their father died in 2002. Their father was shot during a robbery at their home. They lived in a rural area. Siphokazi cried a lot during the interview as a result I comforted and supported her, and reminded her that she can withdraw from the study at anytime. Siphokazi said that she wanted to talk, as she never had an opportunity to share her feelings with anyone. She was clearly traumatised and as a
result the researcher had to make follow up counselling sessions for Siphokazi. After the interviews Siphokazi was referred to the social workers at the Department of Social Welfare for further counselling services.
Siphokazi has been the head of household since her father's death in 2002, though they get support from the extended family, both paternal and maternal relatives.
Siphokazi was doing grade 10 and all her five brothers were still at school. The paternal aunt visits them often to check up on them. Siphokazi said she is coping well with the management of the household, because she had the support from the extended family.
LONDEKA
Londeka is a 13-year-old girl in grade 5 at a primary school. Both her parents are deceased. Her mother died in 2004. During the interviews Londeka appeared to be very sad. She wore an old uniform and no shoes. She stayed with her brother who was 7 years old and in grade 1 at the same school. They occupy a one-hut home in a rural area. Londeka informed that, after her mother's death their maternal aunt moved in with them for few months, then she got a job in the suburbs and visits them once a month to buy them food.
The children were not in receipt of any social grants as they had no birth certificates and the aunt was still sorting out the documents. Londeka informed that they missed their mother a lot and Londeka said that her brother used to cry a lot when he misses his mother and that would upset Londeka and she did not know how to handle him, as she was the child herself.
NELLY
Nelly is a 15-year-old girl heading a household of two including her. She lives in a shack with her 12-year-old sister who is at the same school with her. She was in grade 7, while her sister was in grade 6. Their mother passed away in 2005 after a long illness and she was on Anti-Retro-Viral drugs (ARV's) (Nellie disclosed voluntarily).
They stayed with their aunt for few months, and their aunt also passed away immediately after that. Hence they are now staying on their own. They did not know
their father. They are not receiving any social grant, and rely on neighbours for food, and on their educators for school needs.
MANDLA
Mandla is a 17-year-old boy in grade 11 staying in a rural area near Durban with his brother who is 15 and out of school. They did not know their father. They came to Durban with their mother who was working as a domestic in the suburbs. Their mother became very sick before she died in 2005. They did not know their relatives.
They did not get a social grant, and are dependent on their mother's friends for food and other necessities. They did not have birth certificates and were still trying to apply for them.
MAZZI
Mazzi is 17 years of age, living with his 15-year-old sister and her 18 months old baby. Mazzi was in grade 10, and his sister was out of school, as she has to take care of the baby. They live in a rural area not far from Pinetown. They did not know their father. Their mother died in 2004 after a long illness. They get assistance from their neighbours and from the church. They did not have birth certificates, except for Mazzi's sister's child who has a birth certificate. They relied on this child's child support grant, which is collected by their mother's friend, as the mother did not have an Identity Document.
The following table summarises the details of participants.
TABLE 1: Biographical details of participants.
PSEUDONYM
Lulu Lunga Thembela Jabu Ntombi Anele Makhosi Mbali Lwazi Lindiwe Siphokazi Londeka Nelly Mandla Mazzi
AGE
18 17 18 16 14 17 16 17 16 17 17 13 15 17 17
GRADE
12 10 12 9 9 12 10 10 9
12 10 5 7 11 10
GENDER
Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Female Male Female Female Female Female Male Male
NO. IN HOUSEHOLD
Five Two Five Two Two Two Four Three Two Five Six Two Two Two Three
Of the fifteen participants, eight lived in townships (four lived in informal settlement or shacks and four lived in Reconstruction and Development Programme houses) and seven lived in rural areas. The results of the study revealed no differences in challenges and experiences of children who are heads of households. Participants experienced similar problems regardless of their social and economic backgrounds, and were faced with similar challenges in their lives. The intensity of their problems differed depending on the levels of support that they had.